1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic device for all-purpose coupling of agricultural implements and the like.
More particularly, in this invention a system has been devised suitable for coupling the implements or trailers to a tractor or industrial vehicle without requiring to act from the vehicle""s outside and without requiring additional workmen, so safely, speedy and comfortably working is obtained therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently one can find in the market several types of couplings for farm implements, industrial or construction devices designed for industrial vehicles and the like. In view of the numerous applications of the present invention, the disclosure will specify its use in the farming field because this is the field where the use is widest, however not limiting the application working field of the new invention to this specific sector.
A tractor may couple several farm implements such as a cultivator, a sulphur duster, a trailer, a land leveler, a tank, a rake and the like using three widely-extended coupling systems.
These coupling systems are based on a coupling structure which is located at the tractor""s rear side. This structure is made up with two arms securely fixed to the tractor""s chassis at the lower side and between the rear wheels, this position allowing a lifting and lowering motion as regards to the ground and a mutually opening and closing motion. The arm""s lifting and lowering motion is driven by the pump and the hydraulic pistons from the tractor, and to open and close each of the arms the operator has to lower the tractor and manually do it by means of an externally accessed semiautomatic or manual device. A third supporting member (called third point) is equidistantly placed between the two arms and above them this member is provided with a tensioner which by using a screw or similar allows to approach or separate the end which is hooking the farm implement top portion. Both at the chassis-anchored ends as at the tractor external end, the arms are shaping up a triangle in the three coupling points.
Every farm implement has three coupling points making up a triangle wherein the lower parallel arms and the tractor""s third point are hooked with a tensioner to the farm implement""s triangle top vertex, the linkage is strengthened by pins and bolts. If the farm implement is securely placed to the tractor""s three anchoring points it is then called a mounted farm implement, because its position can be lifted from the ground and its height can be adjusted according to the lifting of the lower arms; said configuration is peculiar of the multi-furrow implement or is requiring height adjustment such as the ploughshares, cultivators, plows and the like. Also there are farm implements which are linked to a tractor only by means of one or two lower anchoring points. These farm implements are called propelled implements because its shape only allowed the tractor vehicle to exert a dragging action thereover, as is peculiarly seen in trailers, tanks, sulphur dusters and the like.
The coupling operation of a farm implement is fully manual, and if we are dealing with a mounted implement the tractor is reversely-driven approached until the arms are facing the farm implement couplings. It is then required the tractor arms are located at the level of the farm implement""s lower coupling pins. Later on, the driver may put aside the driving position, lower the tractor and couple each arm to the relative bolt and close the linkage with a pin, the third point is then manually adjusted, the bolt is inserted and the linkage is closed using a pin.
Said full operation is manually performed from the tractor outside, requiring even the aid of a second operator with a high effort from the operator or operators, because usually the farm implement has to be moved with the associated risk of the farm implement unbalance and falling down or having to face the tractor up to the farm implement repeatedly just to locate it better. Usually the users when making this operation become more or less wounded or injured, also they might receive a blow, a pinch, a snag, or a relative gashed scratch.
There are also presently available those couplings called class II and III. Class II couplings are based in that the farm implement lower bolts are having a number of adapted spheres nesting thereafter into the tractor""s arms and closed by a latch so that they cannot skip, this is a quicker and easier operation, but this coupling has to be manually pursued, being the same process when dealing with the third point.
Class III couplings carry a bar linking the tractor""s two lower arms and the farm implement having two inverted hooks at the connecting triangle base which can directly be nested into the tractor, when the lower arms are lifted and secured with a latch in each hook, which is yielding when the bar is lifted. Also in this assembly arrangement, the devices pertaining to the third point have to be driven from the tractor outside. All this only serves for the mounted implements, because all the dragged implements require another coupling type, quite differently from the mounted implements, which are directly coupled to the tractor chassis; the farm implement currently having a perforation or ring at the end of a boom at its front side and a bolt or pivot provided at the tractor""s rear side is made to go through to start a rotation.
The automatic device for all-purpose coupling of agricultural implements and the like object of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a device assembly which parts and motions which they may be performing, allowed to couple and uncouple different farm implements, tools and jigs without requiring external tampering, all the operation can practically be carried out from the vehicle. It is intended to improve safety, comfortability, speed and productivity of people who with a vehicle, usually a tractor, had to perform multiple implement changes for the several works carried out in the agriculture, cattle-farming, industry, building field and a number of others operating sectors. The present state of the art is not allowing the farm implements to be coupled in a fully automatic mode from the vehicle itself, meaning that at least an operator shall perform several manual operations from the outside until the farm implement is firmly secured to the vehicle substantially with the personal effort involved in all that, accident risks and additionally when the farm implement if faulty-hooked or undesirably swinging.
As a remedy to all these setbacks, the present invention provides very substantial innovations. All parts to be present in the farm implements for hooking or coupling are unified and rationalized; all the farm implements must have the same standard support for the coupling, with the same shapes, dimensions and sizes. The farm implements should have a number of supports to be balanced and reasonably leveled when remaining standing prior to the coupling operation, so that they can face up the vehicle and be a help in the coupling operation.
Starting with the same three basically clearly-differentiated construable models, applications and features although with slightly different uses and properties have been developed having characteristics making them suitable for any specific particular applications. The operating mechanical base comprises generally hydraulic cylinders, although they can also be pneumatical, and the power is provided by a pump or compressor located at the tractor and driven by the tractor""s engine.
In a first development model, the vehicle provided with the new invention has a coupling device comprising two vertically-swinging parallel arms fixed by one end to the tractor chassis at its rear side in an almost parallel shape, and having at its free end a support for securing the farm implements. Each one of these arms is having at the external or internal side, a hydraulic cylinder capable of moving the arm in the transversal sense, concurrently closing or opening both arms, by varying their divergence or convergence, and respective hydraulic cylinders are linked by an end to the tractor""s chassis at a collinear point with the shaft outlined by the two linkages of the swinging arms and at the other end by respectively ramming at an intermediate point, the swinging arm having thereby an oblique position between the cylinder and the associated arm.
At a top and equidistant position of the swinging arms the third supporting point is seen comprising a pivoted arm at its linkage with the chassis and vertically swinging and having at its end, a telescopic hydraulic cylinder having at its free end, a U-shaped hook or similar or an open-end top-fitted vertical slider.
In turn, this third top linkage point is respectively associated with each one of the lower swinging arms by means of a pivoted tiered and crossheads and ball-joints at their two ends. The two tierods mutually form an isosceles triangle with its lower side of variable dimensions. This structure allowed to drive the third point by using the tiered pulling or displacement concurrently exerted by both lower swinging arms. The upwardly or downwardly swing of the swinging arms is causing the same motion on the arm of the third point. Also the swinging arms opening or closing operation by means of the tensioning cylinders is causing a triangle strain performed by the tierods between the arms, thus giving way to a vertical motion at the free end of the third point.
Consequently, the farm implement shall have at its lower side a standard coupling made up with an isosceles triangle configuration structure having two horizontally-arranged bolts or similar, one at each side of the base, and at the top end, a suitable area for nesting into the slider located at the end of the arm associated with the tractor""s third point.
The farm implement coupling operation to the tractor is simple. After facing up the tractor rear side to the farm implement""s front side, the lower swinging arms are placed in an opened position, at the height of the farm implement""s lower bolts and the automatic closing of each said arms is then performed, by means of the action of the tensioning cylinders. The swinging arms approaching motion is straining the triangle formed by the tierods and upwardly pushes the arm of the third point. The arm motion combined with the end telescopic motion of said arm is suitable to nest the hook into the slider with the farm implement""s anchoring top-sided triangle. After the lower arms have abutted with the farm implement structure, the third point is then adjusted using the telescopic arm and the farm implement remained secured and ready for use. All these operations are performed from the driver""s seat by the driver, using the acting controls of the relevant hydraulic cylinders in a comfortable, speedy and safety way.
The farm implement uncoupling operation is quite analogous but contrariwise. After resting the farm implement on the ground, it is only required to open the separation between the swinging arms, and the lower supports will then be released from the farm implement of said arms. During this motion the tierods make the third point""s arm to go downwardly and this point can then be removed by using the telescopic cylinder.
In the cases when farm implements are assembled carrying a takeoff from the tractor and hydraulic pressure tappings to perform several functions, it has been foreseen that the mechanical takeoff hung from the arm of the third point by means of a chain or spring, and also the hydraulic pressure tappings are placed at an easily accessible location for the driver, so the seating position is not left aside. In the farm implement, the takeoff is secured in a similar way and the hoses of the hydraulic pressure tappings are seen secured by means of flexible canes making easy a comfortable access when the farm implement is already coupled and also a speedy connection.
For the coupling of a trailer or a dragged farm implement it has been envisaged that said implement has at the end of the coupling front boom, a hooking jig made up with a horizontal bar having at the ends the appropriate anchoring supporting bolts similar to those seen in the previously cited standard coupling triangle. Said bar having at its central point a hole going through from it a vertically-projected bolt of the boom which allows its rotation in a horizontal plane. This coupling also having two reacting springs such that in the rest position the coupling is perpendicularly located to the boom and thereby suitable to be rammed by the tractor.
The coupling operation is easily performed and simply and only requires to face up the tractor rear side with the boom and then close the opening between the tractor""s lower swinging arms, when the implement or trailer coupling supports had abutted with the ends of the arms receiving them so the operation is completed thereby. To release the implement or trailer is only required to open the opening between the tractor""s swinging arms and uncoupled the implement thereby from the tractor.
The use of this invention may become in several practicable embodiments. A second construable model does not need the third point, its building basically consists in what follows. The tractor having at the rear side and between the wheels, two vertically-guided swinging arms fixed to one end of the tractor chassis and each arranged in an almost parallel way. Both arms having at its free end a hingely-pivoted vertical member having at its vertical projection, two holes, each with a supporting point or points and between these two supporting points a vertical slider can be seen being run by a bolt or sliding contact provided at the end of a hydraulic cylinder, the body of which is parallel to the swinging arm and is strongly interlocked thereto. In the same way that at the first construable model, each one of the two swinging arms is having linked thereto an obliquely hydraulic cylinder which is suitable thereby to give to the arm a transversal motion from one side to the other. This cylinder is fixed by one end to the tractor chassis by using a pivoting member located at a phantom line between the pivoting member linkages of both swinging arms and the opposite end fixed to an intermediate point in the relative swinging arm.
In this way the swinging arms are having a distinctive motion allowing its reciprocating vertical displacement, an opening or closing operation of their mutual convergence and the cylinders which are pivoting the support movable member placed at the end of the arms, allowing a swing of said members upon a variation of the tilting.
Moreover, the farm implement shall have a coupling device made up with a squared frame located at the front side of the linkage, and this frame shall have at each side, a pair of horizontally projecting bolts or supports matching in shape and arrangement with the hole drilled in the movable member provided in the swinging arms.
For the farm coupling, the implementation is simply, because it is only required to face up the tractor""s swinging arms with the previously cited supports located at the implement coupling. The opening is subsequently caused between the tractor""s swinging arms and the cited supports are then located in the relative holes suitable to receive them in the swinging arms until the abutment is obtained. In this way, the farm implement is integral with the movable parts at the ends of the swinging arms.
A third construable model of the invention has a differentiated system having a greater mechanical stiffness. The design of this model basically comprises two parallel-arranged swinging arms at the tractor""s rear side and between the wheels. These parallel arms cannot vary their divergence by opening or closing their opening and only have the concurrently vertical swinging motion. At the end of each arm can be found a vertically-positioned pivoted hydraulic cylinder. This piston downwardly has a U-shaped fork or member and at the extensible top end, another similar fork. This vertical piston can be swinging from front to back due to the operation of an ancillary hydraulic cylinder having a pivoted end at a projecting support of an intermediate point of the swinging arm and at the pivoted opposite end in an intermediate point of the vertical hydraulic cylinder. In this way, the extension of this ancillary cylinder allows to vary the rake of the vertical hydraulic cylinder provided with the forks.
Each vertical hydraulic cylinder is suitable for being arranged between two pairs of supports in the farm implement to be coupled. After the hydraulic cylinder is located between the farm implement supports, the forks extension is nesting each cylinder between relative pairs of supports, securing in this way the farm implement to the tractor vehicle.
Finally, it shall be emphasized that in the description of the three development models, an idea was propounded in the sense that the system is located at the vehicle rear side, because in the farming applications this is the most general arrangement. However the device might also be arranged at the vehicle front side without any properties or operating variations, being this case mostly appropriate for specific vehicles or the like such the ones in the transport or warehouse fields.
To fill up the description that is following suit, and to help in a better understanding of its features, the present descriptive specification is attached with a set of drawings which figures illustratively and non-exhaustively are showing the most relevant details of the invention.